This page has been translated automatically. There may therefore be deviations or inaccuracies in the text. Legal claims are excluded.

Applying for BAföG to attend school

  • Service description

    BAföG is the abbreviation for the Federal Training Assistance Act. The term ‘BAföG’ refers to the financial support you can receive under this Act.

    As the legal framework is very complex, you should contact your relevant student finance office at an early stage.

    You can receive BAföG funding to help cover the costs of

    • your school attendance or
    • under certain conditions, for a compulsory work experience placement as part of your school education.

    In order to receive the monthly grant, you must meet certain other criteria in addition to demonstrating financial need. The most important of these are:

    • You are aiming for a full-time school-leaving qualification.
    • Age limit at the start of the training programme: 45 years of age (exceptions may be made).

    The amount of BAföG you are entitled to is based on a set monthly allowance. Money is deducted from this allowance if your parents, your spouse or your partner, or you yourself, earn slightly more.

    As a pupil, you will usually receive financial support in the form of a grant. You do not have to repay anything. As a pupil at a higher technical college, you will receive funding in monthly instalments, half of which is a grant and half a loan.

    In principle, you are eligible for BAföG if you wish to obtain a vocational qualification through school-based vocational training or a secondary school leaving certificate. However, if you are attending a school providing a general education, this only applies from Year 10 onwards and only if you are unable to live at home. This is the case, for example, if you cannot obtain the qualification you are seeking locally.

    The monthly allowance for pupils is:

    • If you live with your parents:
      • EUR 501.00 if you are attending a technical college course which requires you to have completed vocational training, an evening sixth-form college or a college of further education,
      • EUR 276.00 if you are attending a vocational college or a technical college which you are permitted to attend without having completed vocational training, or
      • EUR 498.00 if you are attending an evening secondary school, a vocational further education college, an evening secondary modern school or a technical college class which you can only attend if you have completed vocational training.
    • If you do not live with your parents:
      • a total of 666.00 EUR if you are attending a secondary school providing general education, a vocational school or a technical college which you are eligible to attend without having completed vocational training, or
      • a total of EUR 775.00 if you are attending an evening secondary school, a vocational further education school, an evening secondary modern school or a class at a technical college, which you can only attend if you have completed vocational training
      • A total of 882.00 EUR if you are attending a technical college course which requires you to have completed vocational training, an evening sixth-form college or a college preparatory course.
    • If you are not covered by your parents’ health and long-term care insurance, you will receive an additional 102.00 EUR and 35.00 EUR respectively.
    • If you have a child under the age of 14 living in your household, you will also receive a childcare allowance of EUR 160.00 for each child.

    Even if, for example, you spend a year abroad whilst at school, you can still receive BAföG. If you spend time abroad, you will be granted additional allowances towards the cost of your outward and return journeys.

    The following amounts are taken into account, i.e. they reduce your BAföG requirement:

    • The income of your parents and that of your spouse or civil partner in the year before last prior to the start of the approval period, if it exceeds the allowance. The allowance is:
      • €2,540 if your parents live together,
      • EUR 1,690 per parent, if your parents live apart and
      • EUR 1,690 for your wife or partner, or your husband or partner.
      • A further 50 per cent of the parental income calculated in this way – plus an additional 5 per cent for each sibling not in an eligible course of study – is exempt from calculation
      • In addition, there may be further allowances, for example for additional children or other dependants of the above-mentioned persons as defined under civil law.
      • Please note: If your parents, your spouse or your civil partner are currently earning significantly less than they did in the year before last prior to the grant of the benefit, you may submit an application for an update.
    • Your own income, if it exceeds 556.00 EUR per month. In addition, there may be further allowances if you are required to pay maintenance to other people.
    • Your own assets, provided that they exceed EUR 15,000 before you reach the age of 30, or EUR 45,000 after you reach the age of 30.

    Parent-independent BAföG: Your parents' income is not taken into account if you

    • have been in employment for 5 years since turning 18, or
    • have completed a three-year vocational training course leading to a professional qualification and have been in employment for at least three years since then. If your training was shorter, you must demonstrate a correspondingly longer period of employment.
    • are over 30 years old when they start their training.

    If you are attending an evening school or a college, you will receive BAföG that is independent of your parents’ income. This means that your parents’ income is not taken into account when calculating your BAföG entitlement.

    Note: The starting point for calculating income is generally the total of all positive earnings. Under the legislation governing student finance, for employees this is the gross income less the

    • Advertising expenses,
    • social lump sum and the
    • taxes actually paid, including church tax and the solidarity surcharge.

    Child benefit that your parents receive for you is not taken into account.

    Interns:

    BAföG funding is only available for work placements that

    • You are completing a course of study whilst undertaking training that is eligible for BAföG funding.
    • Compulsory work placements are those required by your training programme so that you can complete your training.
    • Compulsory work placements that take place within the EU, or
    • Compulsory work placements that take place outside the EU and last for at least 12 weeks.

    You must immediately notify the Student Finance Office in writing of any change in your financial circumstances or in your family or educational situation. This includes, for example,

    • if your income changes,
    • if you change your course of study,
    • if you drop out of the course,
    • if you complete the training or
    • if such changes occur in your siblings.

  • Procedure

    If you would like to apply online for BAföG to fund your school education:

    • Go to the BAföG Digital website and create a BundID user account.
    • Please complete the form fields online using the application wizard and submit your details electronically to the relevant authority.

    If you wish to submit your application on paper:

    • Go to the website www.bafög.de and download the application forms that apply to you. Alternatively, you can collect the application forms from your local student finance office.
    • You can complete the forms on your computer and print them out, or print them out and fill them in by hand. At the end of the application form, you must enter your name or sign the application forms.
    • Please attach the necessary supporting documents.
    • Please send the completed application forms, together with the supporting documents, directly to the student finance office responsible for your case.

    The Student Finance Office checks the documents to ensure they are complete. Any missing documents will be requested. However, this may lead to delays in processing the application. The application will only be assessed once it is complete, and the decision will be communicated by post.

  • Who should I contact?

    The BAföG helpline can assist you on 0800 223 63 41 . It is available free of charge from 8 am to 8 pm, Monday to Friday.

    You can find the student finance offices in Saarland via the link.

  • Responsible office

    The education funding offices of the districts or independent cities are responsible for student financial support under the BAföG scheme within Germany. For students attending evening grammar schools, vocational colleges, higher technical colleges and academies, the student finance office responsible is the one in the district where the educational institution is located. For all other pupils, responsibility generally lies with the student finance office of the city or district administration in the parents’ place of residence.

    On the website, you can search for the student finance office responsible for your funding.

  • Prerequisites

    • As a pupil or trainee, you are attending one of the following types of school:
      • secondary schools providing general education and vocational schools (including classes for all forms of basic vocational training) from Year 10 onwards, if you are unable to live with your parents due to your training,
      • Technical and technical college classes (without having completed vocational training), if you are unable to live with your parents,
      • A vocational college class or technical college class (without a completed vocational qualification), provided it offers a qualification leading to professional competence as part of a course of study lasting at least two years,
      • Technical and technical sixth-form classes (for pupils who have completed vocational training),
      • Evening secondary school, vocational college, evening secondary school, evening grammar school and college, or
      • a higher technical college or academy which awards a qualification that is not recognised as equivalent to a higher education qualification under regional law.
    • They attend school full-time.
    • You are a German woman or a German man or
    • You are from abroad and:
      • hold a right of permanent residence or a settlement permit,
      • are a citizen of the Union and, as an employee or self-employed person, are entitled to freedom of movement under Union law, or, as a family member of such a citizen of the Union, are themselves entitled to freedom of movement,
      • have prospects of remaining in Germany, for example by holding a relevant residence permit on family, humanitarian or political grounds, or
      • had already been living in Germany for five years or more before starting their training and had worked during that time.
    • Work placement:
    • You will receive BAföG for the work placement provided that it is a compulsory part of your course and, in the case of a work placement outside the EU, lasts for at least 12 weeks. For stays abroad within the EU, shorter work placements may also be eligible for funding.

  • Which documents are required?

    • completed application form
    • Certificate from the school or training centre (Form 02)
    • where applicable, a copy of the
      • current residence permit
    • if you do not live with your parents:
      • A copy of the registration certificate or
      • A copy of the tenancy agreement, if requested by the Student Finance Office
    • if you are not covered by family insurance: proof of health and long-term care insurance, stating the legal basis and the amount of the contribution
    • where applicable, proof of your own income during the period of authorisation, for example
      • A payslip from your part-time job or a copy of the contract for services,
      • Notice of orphan's pension,
      • Scholarship award letter or
      • Riester Pension Certificate
    • Proof of assets or liabilities as at the date of application, for example a bank statement.
    • If you have a car:
      • An estimate of the value, for example a printout from a website featuring a comparable offer, and
      • Vehicle registration certificate.
    • Depending on the circumstances, further documents may be required. Please follow the instructions on the application forms. The BAföG office responsible for your case will contact you to request any missing documents.

  • What fees are charged?

    There are no costs.

  • What deadlines do I have to observe?

    There is no deadline. BAföG is only granted from the start of your course, but no earlier than the start of the month in which you submit your application. If you submit a complete application, a decision on your application can usually be made quickly.

    You must notify us in writing immediately of any change in your or your family’s financial circumstances.

  • Legal basis

  • Legal remedy

    • as a rule, an objection
    • Action before the administrative court

  • What else should I know?

    The following information is available:

    • Incorrect or incomplete information, or a failure to report changes, may result in fines or criminal proceedings. Any amounts paid in error may be reclaimed.
    • If necessary, the information provided regarding income or assets can be verified by cross-referencing the data with the relevant authorities.

  • Further information

  • Short text

    • financial support for school education under the Federal Training Assistance Act (BAföG)
    • possible if
      • if the parents do not have a high income or if the criteria for BAföG independent of parental income are met,
      • the trainee has no or only a very small income and assets, and
      • Full-time school attendance takes place
    • Pupils receive financial support in the form of a grant, paid out in monthly instalments
    • These include pupils at
      • secondary schools from Year 10 onwards, as well as vocational and technical college classes, if they are, where necessary, housed off-site,
      • Vocational college classes and technical college classes which do not require prior completion of vocational training and which lead to a qualification enabling the holder to pursue a profession,
      • Vocational and technical college classes, attendance at which requires completion of vocational training,
      • Evening schools,
      • Colleges
    • Pupils at higher technical colleges receive financial support in monthly instalments, half of which is a grant and half a loan
    • Work placements are only funded if
      • it is a compulsory work placement as part of the curriculum and
      • their studies are already funded by BAföG
    • The fee for pupils is based on
      • 1. based on a set monthly requirement for
        • Cost of living and accommodation,
        • where applicable, the cost of health insurance,
        • children, if any,
      • 2. on the basis of the applicant’s income and assets and, where applicable, on the basis of their income
        • the parents'
        • the wife or the husband
        • their partner.
      • 3. by type of school.
    • BAföG is, in exceptional cases, granted independently of parents’ means if
      • the applicant has been in employment for 5 years since reaching the age of 18, or
      • the applicant has been in paid employment for at least three years following a three-year vocational training course (or for a correspondingly longer period of employment if the training course was shorter), or
      • the applicant attends an evening secondary school or a college, or
      • the trainee has reached the age of 30 by the start of the training phase
    • When staying abroad, allowances are paid in addition to travel expenses
    • Funding is provided for the duration of the training programme until its completion
    • responsible:
      • Student Finance Office in the parents’ place of residence
      • in certain cases, at the trainee’s place of residence or at the training centre
      • in the case of a study programme abroad, the relevant International Office

  • Author

    Forwarding service: Deep link to the source portal Forwarding service: Deep link to the source portal

Responsible departments